Yankees move back into tie for wild-card lead

Posted: Sunday, September 04, 2005

By The Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif.  Aaron Small replaced injured Mike Mussina and pitched his first career shutout, and Jason Giambi hit a three-run homer to help the New York Yankees move back into a tie for the AL wild-card lead with a 7-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Saturday.

Hideki Matsui drove in New York's first two runs without a hit to reach 100 RBIs, and Alex Rodriguez added a two-run single in a six-run seventh inning.

Small's five-hitter followed a 12-0 loss in the series opener and yet another team meeting called before the game by New York manager Joe Torre.

Making his first start since Aug. 10, the 33-year-old Small (6-0) struck out three, walked two and didn't allow a runner to reach third base. After going nine years between major league starts, Small is 4-0 in five starts this season.

Devil Rays 3, Blue Jays 2

TORONTO  Travis Lee hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the ninth inning that led Tampa Bay over Toronto and stopped a five-game losing streak.

Jorge Cantu singled off Josh Towers leading off the ninth. Scott Schoeneweis relieved and got Aubrey Huff to ground out, and Miguel Batista (5-6) came in and retired Jonny Gomes on a flyout.

Lee fell behind in the count 0-2, then homered to right to overcome a 2-1 deficit.

Seth McClung (6-8) allowed just two runs and two hits in eight innings, struck out six and walked three. He had just returned to the team after attending the funeral of his grandmother.

Danys Baez pitched a perfect ninth for his 32nd save.

Towers allowed two runs  one earned  in eight-plus innings.

Red Sox 7, Orioles 6

BOSTON  Kevin Millar and David Ortiz homered as Boston's bats recovered following a rare off night.

Matt Clement (13-3) allowed four runs  two earned  and six hits in eight inning as Boston won for the sixth time in seven games and maintained a 3 1/2-game lead over the second-place Yankees in the AL East. Before Friday's 7-3 loss, the Red Sox had scored seven or more runs in 14 consecutive home games, an AL record.

After shortstop Edgar Renteria booted a potential double-play grounder by Luis Matos for an error in the ninth, Baltimore closed on Brian Roberts' RBI double and Melvin Mora's sacrifice fly. With runners at the corners, Mike Timlin retired Miguel Tejada on a flyout for his sixth save.

Erik Bedard (6-6) gave up six runs and seven hits in 4 1-3 innings for the Orioles, who had won three straight.

White Sox 6, Tigers 2

CHICAGO  Tadahito Iguchi fell a home run shy of the cycle, Aaron Rowand and Jermaine Dye hit back-to-back solo shots as Chicago won its third straight. Detroit has lost eight of 10.

Mark Buehrle (15-7) scattered nine hits, struck out eight and did not walk a batter in seven innings.

Aaron Rowand broke a 1-1 tie with a two-run triple in the third and hit a solo homer in the seventh. Dye followed Rowand's homer with his 27th home run.

Nate Robertson (6-12) allowed six runs and 12 hits in 6 1-3 innings, dropping to 1-5 in his last eight starts.

Twins 3, Indians 2

MINNEAPOLIS  Coco Crisp's sacrifice fly tied the score in the top of the ninth following a leadoff double by Casey Blake off Joe Nathan (7-3), who combined with Johan Santana on a three-hitter, but the Twins won it in the bottom half.

Juan Castro led off the bottom of the inning with a bunt single to third off Bobby Howry (6-3) and advanced to second when Aaron Boone's throw sailed past first baseman Jose Hernandez.

Nick Punto followed with another bunt down the third-base line. Howry picked it up, but his throw to first also was off the mark, allowing Castro to come home with the winning run.

Minnesota pulled within five games of the AL wild-card lead, while Cleveland lost for only the fourth time in its last 15 games and remained one game back.

Rangers 5, Royals 3

KANSAS CITY, Mo.  Juan Dominguez took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning Saturday night in his fifth start of the season.

Emil Brown singled to center leading off the seventh, and Dominguez (3-3) wound up allowing one run, two hits and four walks in 7 1-3 innings. He left after Aaron Guiel's double in the eighth. Dominguez, a 25-year-old right-hander, is 3-1 since joining the Texas rotation on Aug. 13.

Adrian Gonzalez and David Dellucci homered for the Rangers, who lead the majors with 224.

Kansas City's D.J. Carrasco (5-8) gave up five runs on 10 hits and three walks in seven innings. He is 0-4 in six starts since July 24.

The Royals have lost eight of nine and 28 of 33, falling to a major league-worst 43-91. Kansas City is 1-8 against Texas this season.

Mariners 6, Angels 3

ANAHEIM, Calif.  Ichiro Suzuki drove in the go-ahead run in the ninth inning with his third hit and Raul Ibanez had three RBIs as Seattle ended Los Angeles' three-game winning streak.

The Mariners scored four times in the ninth. Suzuki singled off Scot Shields (8-10), snapping a 2-all tie. Pinch-hitter Greg Dobbs had a run-scoring double and Ibanez added a two-run single to give Seattle a 6-2 lead.